As Calendar Girls is turned into a play, the stars reveal: 'Why we're proud to parade our wobbly bits'

Wednesday 13 August 2008 20:52 BST

The thought of posing naked for a photo is a nightmare for most women. But when the ladies of the Rylstone and District WI dared to bare for their famous charity calendar, they raised a fortune, as well as a few eyebrows, and inspired a Hollywood hit. Now their story has been turned into a play, and six of Britain's best-loved actresses will be stripping for live theatre audiences across the country. So how do they feel about baring all? And what do they think of their own bodies

The Calendar Girls pose in the altogether in preparation for taking the play of the hit film on the road

The Calendar Girls pose in the altogether in preparation for taking the play of the hit film on the road

Lynda says her sons won't be too thrilled to see their mother naked on stage

Lynda says her sons won't be too thrilled to see their mother naked on stage

LYNDA BELLINGHAM, 60, will play Chris or Miss August. The Oxo mum actress has two grown-up sons, and lives in North London with her new husband property developer Michael Pattemore.

She says: "I envy any woman who is confident in her own skin. Even in 1974, when I was a young, slim 9 stone, and appearing nude for a fleeting scene in a terrible play about Toulouse-Lautrec, I never liked my body. I was always just 'all right' looking, nothing more.

"I was never cast for my beauty and I accepted that. In fact, these days I'm quite grateful for it - what could be more depressing than reaching my age and being famous for having been beautiful once.

"The prospect of taking my clothes off on stage 30-odd years and a stone or two later, is absolutely terrifying. But at the same time it's exhilarating to know that we're going to do it and that, together, we might make a small contribution to the self-esteem of real women everywhere.

"It's a privilege to be part of something that allows older, baggier, saggier women to celebrate their lives and their bodies. If I have to sacrifice a little of my own privacy, under the harsh lights of the theatre, to do that, then I'm proud to do it - proud but nervous.

"I'm not immune to the pressures we all feel to look a certain way. I know that all the pictures I see in magazines and on television have been manipulated and airbrushed, but I still fall for it. Try as I do not to be overly critical of my body, my first thought when I heard I'd got this part was 'God, I need to lose at least a stone,' just enough to improve my midriff.

"I would like to save my husband from looking up at me on stage and thinking, 'Did I really marry that baggage?' But, whether it's one stone or two, I'll never have a fantastically beautiful body.

"Forget crash diets, coming to terms with that reality is probably the best preparation you can do for a role like this. Before I took this job, I used to be very self-conscious about the wobbly tops of my arms, but at least when you're a Calendar Girl you can be pretty sure it won't be your arms the audience are staring at.

"I suspect my sons, Robbie and Michael, who are 20 and 25, are not too thrilled that their mother will be appearing naked on the stage. Through pregnancy I put on a few pounds that I never shifted until I was cast as Helen in All Creatures Great And Small.

"The producer said the part was mine if I lost 10lb. It wasn't easy - I never have been the glass of water and lettuce leaf type - but I did it.

"But compared to watching me in Sugar Mummies in 2006, which had quite a graphic 'sex on the beach' scene, this shouldn't be too uncomfortable for my boys at all.

"There is nothing remotely sexual about the nudity in Calendar Girls. The original WI ladies didn't pose because they thought they looked sexy, they did it because they were brave. They did it to raise money in memory of their dear friend, John, and to celebrate life.

"And on that note, I feel inclined to have a nice slice of cake."

Gaynor Faye: "I realised how silly it would be for us to have gym-honed bodies when the women we're playing were anything but"

Gaynor Faye: "I realised how silly it would be for us to have gym-honed bodies when the women we're playing were anything but"

GAYNOR FAYE, 36, is Celia, Miss November. The ex-Coronation Street star and Dancing On Ice winner lives in Leeds with property agent Mark Pickering and their two children. She says:

"My first question when I was asked if I'd like to be a Calendar Girl was: 'Exactly how naked will I have to be?' Swiftly followed by: 'Where did I put my workout DVDs?'

"I thought I'd have to lay off the chocolate and exercise like mad to get myself into shape. But then I realised how silly it would be for us to have gym-honed bodies, when the women we're playing were anything but.

"They were normal women living normal lives in rural Yorkshire. They didn't spend months preparing to look perfect with a dedicated personal trainer. They had their photos taken just the way they were - and their imperfections were the beauty of it.

"I dropped a stone and two dress sizes, from a 14 to 10, when I was in Dancing On Ice two years ago. I'd never been so trim and toned, but my partner Mark missed my curves. I've put on a few pounds since, and now I'm happy with my body the way it is.

"It might not be the best shape it's ever been in, but then I never appreciated it when it was.

"I can see, with hindsight, that I had a good figure when I was younger. I was really slim - easily a size 8 - with great big boobs, but I thought they were something to be embarrassed about. My thighs were so skinny I'd wear three pairs of trousers at a time to make my legs looks fatter.

"Looking at them today, I can hardly believe it, but that's what having children does to you.

"Since having children my boobs have disappeared and I'm carrying weight in places I never had it before. Women, especially British women, are so quick to criticise themselves. They focus on what they hate about their bodies, the cellulite, the varicose veins, the droopy boobs, as if they're the only woman in the world to have them.

"But if we all lined up naked in a row, we'd see that we're all the same under our clothes. Varying sizes and degrees of sagginess, but pretty much the same. Going on Dancing On Ice was my therapy. With all those skimpy costumes and quick changes backstage, I had to stop caring about people seeing my body. I started to feel a bit 'so what?' about taking my clothes off.

"This play gives women a much-needed opportunity to rejoice in being women and having a womanly shape. When we're up on stage, I hope the women in the audience will feel so liberated they'll wish they could be up there with us.

"I always said I would only take my clothes off for a role if there was a good reason to do it, and I don't think I'll ever find a better one than this."

Patricia Hodge: "When we're young we're so over-sensitive about every imperfection we have a kind of body dysmorphia"

Patricia Hodge: "When we're young we're so over-sensitive about every imperfection we have a kind of body dysmorphia"

PATRICIA HODGE, 61, is Annie, Miss July. A stalwart of stage and screen, she is married to music publisher Peter Owen and lives in London with their two sons. She says:

"I had no idea what 'middle-aged spread' was until I got it, or, until it got me. Suddenly, the slender waist I had never given a second's thought to was thickening and there wasn't a lot I could do about it. Now there isn't a day goes by when I don't pinch that flesh around my middle and think 'eeuyuck!'

"So when I was offered this part, I was torn. On the one hand, I thought, it's a wonderful play. But on the other, I really don't want to take my clothes off. But that fear is what gives our performance its power and poignancy.

"We actresses have to overcome exactly the same worries and emotional obstacles that the original Calendar Girls faced when they took their clothes off for the camera. As one of our characters says 'None of us has been here before' but, supported by each other, we can do it.

"It's the same for every one of us - none of us have the body we want but our relationship with it changes as we get older. When we're young we're so over-sensitive about every little imperfection, we have a kind of body dysmorphia.

"But then, gradually, we stop caring so much, and thank God we do, because, at the same time, our bodies are sliding southwards. I'm 5ft 5in and my weight hovers around eight and a half stone, which is about right, but I have to watch it.

"Like all the best stories, we think Calendar Girls is about one thing but in fact it's about so much more. The nudity for which it's known is anything but gratuitous, being more about what you don't see than what you do, and above and beyond that it's a story of friendship, courage and laughter.

"Once I had spoken to the director and been reassured my dignity was in safe hands, the nudity ceased to be my concern. Now I believe, and hope, that if we tell this story right, the audience will almost forget we have nothing on."

SIAN PHILLIPS CBE, 74, is Jessie, Miss September. The acclaimed actress was once married to Peter O'Toole, with whom she has two daughters. Today she lives in London with friends. She says:

"You don't need a good body to be in this play, but you do need to be a whiz with props given that we are responsible for preserving our own modesty. If we get nervous and drop something, well, we've had it.

"For my part, I will be cowering behind an Afghan blanket which I knitted myself to make sure it was big enough - and I'll also be clutching a couple of balls of wool and some knitting needles in the other hand in case the blanket slips.

"When I first got the part, my friends joked that my granddaughter would be horrified. 'What on earth will she say?' they asked. 'Why can't you do what other grandmothers do? You wouldn't catch them taking their clothes off in the theatre!'

"But I don't think there's anything prurient or sexual about this, it's wonderfully sweet. And in any case, as my own grandmother told me, age should never be a barrier to anything.

"However, I don't agree with those who say the human body is beautiful at any age. I wish it was true, but it isn't. Although you can make an exception for art, I strongly believe that a woman shouldn't show her arms after the age of 30, when they become irretrievably flabby, and short skirts are a no-no at the very first sign of cellulite.

"I have always enjoyed fashion and, when I was young and beautiful I dare say I wore a few daring outfits. But I have always believed, no matter what your size or shape, there is no excuse for dressing inappropriately.

"I don't buy into the popular notion that modern women have poor body image. You only have to look around on a hot day to see ancient ladies in short shorts, and you'll realise that many women are extraordinarily - inexplicably - confident about their bodies. If anything, I think we should hold back a little.

"As a model and an actress in my younger days, I was on a permanent diet and, for a long time, very, very slim. I trained myself to be disciplined about what I ate until it became absolute habit, and willpower had very little to do with it.

"Back when I was a size 8, I wouldn't have taken a slice of cake if it was covered in gold. But now that I'm a size or two bigger and about to take my clothes off in public, I can't seem to resist all the most delicious treats.

"As an actress I have to make sure I'm in good nick - it's not about looking good but being fit enough to do the job. I take regular Pilates classes and trips to the gym, but I enjoy caring less about my weight these days. It's liberating.

"I certainly haven't bothered with a special diet or exercise regime to get me in shape for this production. I think the audience will be there to have fun, not to point at our imperfections - at least I hope so."

Elaine C Smith: "My friends couldn't decide if I was mad or brave to do it. Most would rather die than pose for a picture in the buff"

Elaine C Smith: "My friends couldn't decide if I was mad or brave to do it. Most would rather die than pose for a picture in the buff"

ELAINE C SMITH, 50, is Cora, Miss February. The actress and comedienne best known for playing Rab C Nesbitt's down-trodden wife, lives in Glasgow with her husband Bob Morton and their two daughters. She says:

"Actresses are a funny breed. We're not as bashful as normal women. After years of working in small theatre companies, changing in toilet cubicles and tiny shared dressing rooms, my concept of privacy must have slipped out the window.

"So until I signed up to Calendar Girls, I didn't realise how terrified most women are about showing their bodies. My friends couldn't decide if I was mad or brave to do it. Most would rather die than pose for a picture in the buff, let alone stand in front of an audience of hundreds. But to me, it doesn't feel too bad at all. It's safe, sweet and funny, and, above all, it's a vital part of a moving story.

"I might sound blasé but then this is brand-new territory for me. Because I have a large bust and a round face, I was always cast in motherly roles, and over time it affected the way I saw myself. Nowadays I make an effort to assert the real me. I always pay attention to my hair and makeup, which makes me feel better about myself and helps draw a line between me and my characters.

"Until I started working on Calendar Girls, I always thought body confidence issues only affected people who struggle with their weight. But now, surrounded by beautiful and talented women of all shapes and sizes, I can see that even size 8s have their insecurities.

"Even though I wasn't cast for my great figure or my looks, I have been on a low-carb diet since the reality of this role sunk in. I just want to be in the best shape I can, knowing all the while that there's no danger of me turning into Kate Moss. I'd just like to get my size 14 jeans on without having to lie on the bed and wrestle them up.

"I hope that seeing me in all my glory as I sit naked at the piano will help women in the audience to silence the critical voices they hear in their heads about their own bodies all the time.

"I want them to look up at me on that stage and say: 'Well, she's far from perfect and she doesn't care, so why should I?' "

Julia Hills: "Convincing my mortified 12-year-old daughter that her mother will be parading naked on stage for a good cause is a bit of a struggle"

Julia Hills: "Convincing my mortified 12-year-old daughter that her mother will be parading naked on stage for a good cause is a bit of a struggle"

JULIA HILLS, 51, is Ruth, Miss April. The actress, who shot to fame in the Eighties' sketch show Who Dares Wins, lives in Berkshire and is married to actor/director Paul Clarkson. She has two daughters and a son and says:

"We don't want to give anyone a heart attack, so we're hoping the nudity will be tastefully done and very kindly lit. Although I have never been the kind of actress with model looks, I find it quite amusing that I have waited until my 50s to do my first nude scene.

"I have always been quite slim, but after three children, I have a body that has been lived in. It's not something I would normally want to show off. But this is such a celebratory, joyous play that, somehow, it achieves the impossible - it makes getting naked on stage seem okay.

"Of course, it helps that we will be wittily and carefully concealing our vital bits - at least as far as possible. I shall be hiding behind fruit and jam.

"I decided early on that I wouldn't be dashing down to the gym in preparation because this should be a warts-and-all thing. Calendar Girls is a true story about women of a certain age who were brave enough to take their clothes off for an incredibly good cause. They did it with such courage, such humour, such joie de vivre.

"Convincing my mortified 12-year-old daughter that her mother will be parading naked on stage for a good cause is a bit of a struggle. But in world where girls grow up under such pressure to be perfect-looking, I think this is a very positive thing for a mum to do. I was never under such intense pressure when I was growing up and I worry about the effect it will have on future generations."

CALENDAR GIRLS opens at Chichester Festival Theatre on September 16, prior to a national tour and stint in the West End.